Justice League 3000 Interview with J.M. DeMatteis

With "Justice League" becoming more of a branding than a specific team, more new takes on the formula are being tried out. The most extreme take of late has been Justice League 3000 by J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, and Howard Porter, which features a Justice League 1000 years in the future.

Only, we aren't sure who these guys are. They resemble the present day Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern, but their costumes have changed and so have their personalities -- drastically. We aren't sure if they are clones or what, but figuring it out has been the fun of the series.

We got the chance to ask DeMatteis some questions about JL3K, including how he is approaching revealing the true nature of the team, the upcoming debut of Firestorm 3000, and if we'll ever see a New 52 Gleek.

IGN: The debut of Justice League 3000 has been well-received here on IGN. One thing that stuck out was that there’s an air of mystery to this futuristic Justice League. We don’t quite know how they came to be or who they truly are. They seem to have some memories of the originals along with their powers, but it seems you’re working a Nature vs. Nurture angle here. What can you tell us about how you are introducing this new, yet familiar, cast?

J.M. DeMatteis: We’re definitely playing with the mystery of it all, and throwing in a little misdirection, as well. We hope that, when the origin of this new League is finally revealed, it will surprise — and, I suspect, shock — people. Till then, the real fun — and the real challenge — is slowly unfolding the characters. Playing up the similarities, and vast differences, between these new incarnations and the classic versions we all know and love.

IGN: Another highlight has been the new role for the Wonder Twins. They’re the grand manipulators, the caretakers of the Justice League, in a way. What’s in store for them going forward?

JMD: Yes they are “grand manipulators,” but they’re also, under the skin, a couple of kids who — despite their genius — are in over their heads and are going to face some trying times. We’ll see them both changing and growing considerably in the coming months.

IGN: Any chance we’ll see a New 52 Gleek?

JMD: We hadn’t planned on it — but since you brought it up…! Now, if it happens, you’ll have no one but yourself to blame.

IGN: [Laughs] Can you talk about the character redesigns? I especially love Superman’s haircut and Green Lantern’s cloak.

JMD: That all came from the amazing Howard Porter, who’s been doing such a wonderful job on the book. He’s pouring heart and soul into the series and every single issue is better than the one before. A wonderful artist, good guy and a total pro. You can’t ask for anything more.

I’m incredibly lucky getting to work with Howard and my old pal, Keith Giffen, on this book. Keith, as I’ve said many times before, is one of the single most creative humans I’ve ever known. We’ve been working together since the 80s and it’s always fun.

IGN: From the solicits, it looks like we will see the debut of Firestorm 3000. Not only does he look a lot different with that awesome design, but he doesn’t sound like a team player. What’s he going to be like when he enters the comic?

JMD: If I told you, there wouldn’t be any surprise. What I can say is that Firestorm is going to be an important player in the book and he’ll be around for the long haul — although not, perhaps, in the way you expect. How’s that for vague?

IGN: [Laughs] We have a special kinship with G'nort here on IGN, so we feel you there. To close us out, is there anything you’d like to add about Justice League 3000?

JMD: With JL 3000, what you see in the first few issues isn’t necessarily what you’re going to get down the line. The characters are constantly evolving and so is the universe they inhabit. We’ve got a virgin future that we’re building from the ground up and we’re having a blast doing it. Along with that we get to take these icons that everyone knows and twist them into new and unexpected shapes. It’s like rebooting the entire DC universe every month. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Game of Thrones, or Green Lantern are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.